Site & Page Tools

Tribal Crime and Justice: Violence and Victimization

NIJ-funded research on the victimization of American Indian and Alaska Native American women has revealed the following:

Ahtna (Alaska Native) women report satisfaction with police response to intimate partner violence. This study examined violence against Ahtna women, including intimate partner violence. Despite the geographically remote area, subjects were more likely to report satisfaction with the police than with shelters or the available crisis hotline. Read an abstract and access the full report for
Intimate Partner Violence Against AHTNA (Alaska Native) Women in the Copper River Basin.

Victim programs that provide comprehensive, long-term services successfully assist and ensure the safety of American Indian and Alaska Native women who have been abused or assaulted. An NIJ evaluation assessed the impact of the tribal Service, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors (STOP) programs funded under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. All participating tribal communities reported that the program significantly enhanced safety for American Indian and Alaska Native women. Read an abstract and access the full report for
Impact Evaluation of STOP Grant Program for Reducing Violence Against Women Among Indian Tribes.

Two tribal communities that received Tribal Victim Assistance grants responded to victimization with varying levels of collaboration and coordination with internal and external programs and agencies. An evaluation of two Tribal Victim Assistance programs that support American Indian victims of crime - in the Passamaquoddy and Lummi Nations - helped determine whether each program met its goals and is applicable for other tribal nations. Read an abstract and access the full report for
Participatory Evaluation of the Tribal Victim Assistance Programs at the Lummi Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe.

The presence and frequency of genital injury due to sexual assault did not affect the likelihood that a case would be referred for prosecution, would be accepted by prosecutors or would result in a conviction. University of Alaska Anchorage researchers investigated the characteristics, case processing and case outcomes of reported sexual assaults in Alaska. They collected and analyzed Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) evaluations, examined the geographical distribution of reported sexual assaults in Anchorage, examined how alcohol use was related to injuries, and described the consequences of the time lapse between an assault and the consequent report. Read an abstract and access the full report for
Alaska Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Study.

The national annual incidence rates and lifetime prevalence rates for physical assaults against American Indian and Alaska Native women are higher than rates for physical assaults against other women. This report describes the current state of research, evaluation and knowledge on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women. This report includes homicide, rape and sexual assault, physical assault, and stalking. Read an abstract and access the full report for
Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and the Criminal Justice Response: What Is Known.

Ongoing Research on Tribal Violence and Victimization

Responding to violence against Native American women. NIJ is collaborating with the Office on Violence Against Women to examine violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and the effectiveness of federal, state, local and tribal responses. Several types of victimization will be examined, including murder, stalking, dating violence, sexual assault and domestic violence.